Display device

ABSTRACT

A display device including a first display substrate including a switching element disposed on a first base, a height difference generation pattern disposed on the switching element to overlap with the switching element, a color filter layer disposed on the height difference generation pattern and covering the height difference generation pattern, an organic layer disposed on the color filter layer and including a protruding part overlapping the height difference generation pattern, and a pixel electrode disposed on the organic layer, electrically connected to the switching element, and not overlapping the protruding part; a second display substrate including a second base facing the first base; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second display substrates; and a column spacer disposed between a first surface of the second base facing the first base and the organic layer and overlapping the protruding part.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from and the benefit of Korean PatentApplication No. 10-2018-0066779, filed on Jun. 11, 2018, which is herebyincorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND Field

Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate generally to a displaydevice.

Discussion of the Background

Liquid crystal display (LCD) devices have been used in various devicessuch as a television (TV), a monitor, a notebook computer, a mobilephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a smartphone. A typicalLCD device has a liquid crystal layer interposed between lower and uppersubstrates and displays an image by controlling the alignment angle ofliquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer so as to controlthe transmittance of the liquid crystal layer. Column spacers aredisposed between the upper and lower substrates and can therebyuniformly maintain the cell gap between the lower and upper substrates.

When an external force is applied, the column spacers may be movedsideways, and as a result, one of the lower and upper substrates may bedamaged. If such damage occurs at the boundary between pixels, lightleakage may occur.

The above information disclosed in this Background section is only forunderstanding of the background of the inventive concepts, and,therefore, it may contain information that does not constitute priorart.

SUMMARY

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a display devicecapable of uniformly maintaining the cell gap between two substrates andpreventing the two substrates from being damaged by an external force.

Additional features of the inventive concepts will be set forth in thedescription which follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the inventive concepts.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a displaydevice includes a first display substrate including a first base, aswitching element disposed on the first base, a height differencegeneration pattern, which has an island shape and is disposed on theswitching element to overlap with the switching element, a color filterlayer, which is disposed on the height difference generation pattern andcovers the height difference generation pattern, an organic layer, whichis disposed on the color filter layer and includes a protruding partoverlapping with the height difference generation pattern, and a pixelelectrode, which is disposed on the organic layer, is electricallyconnected to the switching element, and does not overlap with theprotruding part; a second display substrate including a second basefacing the first base; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the firstand second display substrates; and a column spacer disposed between afirst surface of the second base facing the first base and the organiclayer and overlapping with the protruding part.

The height difference generation pattern may contain a first pigment ofa first color, and the color filter layer may contain a second pigmentof a second color different from the first color.

The first color may be one of red or green, and the second color may beblue.

The switching element may include a semiconductor layer having a channelregion, and the height difference generation pattern may cover thechannel region.

The column spacer may be fixedly disposed on the second base.

An end of the column spacer may face the protruding part.

The first display substrate may include a first alignment film, which isdisposed on the organic layer, and the second display substrate mayinclude a second alignment film, which is disposed on the second baseand covers the column spacer.

A part of the first alignment film disposed on the protruding part and apart of the second alignment film disposed on the column spacer may bein direct contact with each other.

A maximum width of the height difference generation pattern may be 30 μmto 45 μm.

A height of the protruding part may be 0.6 μm to 0.8 μm.

The display device may further comprise a light-blocking member disposedon the first surface of the second base.

The light-blocking member may overlap with the switching element and theheight difference generation pattern.

The column spacer may be formed of the same material as thelight-blocking member.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, adisplay device includes a first display substrate including a firstbase, which has first and second pixel areas, first and second switchingelements, which are disposed on the first base and are located in thefirst and second pixel areas, respectively, a height differencegeneration pattern, which has an island shape and is disposed on thefirst switching element to overlap with the first switching element, afirst color filter layer, which is disposed on the first switchingelement and the height difference generation pattern and covers theheight difference generation pattern, a second color filter layer, whichis disposed on the second switching element, an organic layer, whichcovers the first and second color filter layers and includes a firstprotruding part overlapping with the height difference generationpattern, a first pixel electrode, which is disposed on the organic layerin the first pixel area, is electrically connected to the firstswitching element, and does not overlap with the first protruding part,and a second pixel electrode, which is disposed on the organic layer inthe second pixel area, is electrically connected to the second switchingelement, and does not overlap with the second switching element; asecond display substrate including a second base, which faces the firstbase; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and seconddisplay substrates; and a first column spacer disposed between a firstsurface of the second base facing the first base and the organic layerand overlapping with the first protruding part.

The display device may further include a second column spacer disposedbetween the first surface of the second base and the organic layer andoverlapping with the second switching element.

The organic layer may further include a second protruding partoverlapping with the second switching element and having a smallerheight than the first protruding part.

The height of the first protruding part may be greater than the heightof the second protruding part by 0.3 μm to 0.5 μm.

The first and second column spacers may have the same height.

The first display substrate may include a first alignment film, which isdisposed on the organic layer.

The second display substrate may include a second alignment film, whichis disposed on the second base and covers the first and second columnspacers.

A part of the first alignment film disposed on the first protruding partand a part of the second alignment film disposed on the first columnspacer may be in direct contact with each other.

The first and second column spacers may be fixedly disposed on thesecond base.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and areintended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of theinvention, and together with the description serve to explain theinventive concepts.

FIG. 1 is a layout view of a pixel of a display device according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, FIG. 3A, and FIG. 3B are plan views illustratingexamples of a protruding part of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1, ofthe display device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B show enlarged cross-sectional views of a part X ofFIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1, of adisplay device according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1, of adisplay device according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1, of adisplay device according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1, of adisplay device according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1, of adisplay device according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 11 is a layout view of a display device according to anotherexemplary embodiment of the present invention and illustrates anexemplary arrangement of gate lines, data lines, and protruding parts inthe display device.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line B-B′ of FIG. 11, ofa display device according to another exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line B-B′ of FIG. 11, ofa display device according to another exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 14 is a layout view of a display device according to anotherexemplary embodiment of the present invention and illustrates anexemplary arrangement of gate lines, data lines, and protruding parts inthe display device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of various exemplary embodiments of the invention. As usedherein “embodiments” are interchangeable words that are non-limitingexamples of devices or methods employing one or more of the inventiveconcepts disclosed herein. It is apparent, however, that variousexemplary embodiments may be practiced without these specific details orwith one or more equivalent arrangements. In other instances, well-knownstructures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoidunnecessarily obscuring various exemplary embodiments. Further, variousexemplary embodiments may be different, but do not have to be exclusive.For example, specific shapes, configurations, and characteristics of anexemplary embodiment may be used or implemented in another exemplaryembodiment without departing from the inventive concepts.

Unless otherwise specified, the illustrated exemplary embodiments are tobe understood as providing exemplary features of varying detail of someways in which the inventive concepts may be implemented in practice.Therefore, unless otherwise specified, the features, components,modules, layers, films, panels, regions, and/or aspects, etc.(hereinafter individually or collectively referred to as “elements”), ofthe various embodiments may be otherwise combined, separated,interchanged, and/or rearranged without departing from the inventiveconcepts.

The use of cross-hatching and/or shading in the accompanying drawings isgenerally provided to clarify boundaries between adjacent elements. Assuch, neither the presence nor the absence of cross-hatching or shadingconveys or indicates any preference or requirement for particularmaterials, material properties, dimensions, proportions, commonalitiesbetween illustrated elements, and/or any other characteristic,attribute, property, etc., of the elements, unless specified. Further,in the accompanying drawings, the size and relative sizes of elementsmay be exaggerated for clarity and/or descriptive purposes. When anexemplary embodiment may be implemented differently, a specific processorder may be performed differently from the described order. Forexample, two consecutively described processes may be performedsubstantially at the same time or performed in an order opposite to thedescribed order. Also, like reference numerals denote like elements.

When an element, such as a layer, is referred to as being “on,”“connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may bedirectly on, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer orintervening elements or layers may be present. When, however, an elementor layer is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,”or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are nointervening elements or layers present. To this end, the term“connected” may refer to physical, electrical, and/or fluid connection,with or without intervening elements. Further, the D1-axis, the D2-axis,and the D3-axis are not limited to three axes of a rectangularcoordinate system, such as the x, y, and z-axes, and may be interpretedin a broader sense. For example, the D1-axis, the D2-axis, and theD3-axis may be perpendicular to one another, or may represent differentdirections that are not perpendicular to one another. For the purposesof this disclosure, “at least one of X, Y, and Z” and “at least oneselected from the group consisting of X, Y, and Z” may be construed as Xonly, Y only, Z only, or any combination of two or more of X, Y, and Z,such as, for instance, XYZ, XYY, YZ, and ZZ. As used herein, the term“and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of theassociated listed items.

Although the terms “first,” “second,” etc. may be used herein todescribe various types of elements, these elements should not be limitedby these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element fromanother element. Thus, a first element discussed below could be termed asecond element without departing from the teachings of the disclosure.

Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “under,” “lower,”“above,” “upper,” “over,” “higher,” “side” (e.g., as in “sidewall”), andthe like, may be used herein for descriptive purposes, and, thereby, todescribe one elements relationship to another element(s) as illustratedin the drawings. Spatially relative terms are intended to encompassdifferent orientations of an apparatus in use, operation, and/ormanufacture in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. Forexample, if the apparatus in the drawings is turned over, elementsdescribed as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would thenbe oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplaryterm “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below.Furthermore, the apparatus may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90degrees or at other orientations), and, as such, the spatially relativedescriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, thesingular forms, “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the pluralforms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Moreover,the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including,”when used in this specification, specify the presence of statedfeatures, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/orgroups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one ormore other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components,and/or groups thereof. It is also noted that, as used herein, the terms“substantially,” “about,” and other similar terms, are used as terms ofapproximation and not as terms of degree, and, as such, are utilized toaccount for inherent deviations in measured, calculated, and/or providedvalues that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

Various exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference tosectional and/or exploded illustrations that are schematic illustrationsof idealized exemplary embodiments and/or intermediate structures. Assuch, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, forexample, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to beexpected. Thus, exemplary embodiments disclosed herein should notnecessarily be construed as limited to the particular illustrated shapesof regions, but are to include deviations in shapes that result from,for instance, manufacturing. In this manner, regions illustrated in thedrawings may be schematic in nature and the shapes of these regions maynot reflect actual shapes of regions of a device and, as such, are notnecessarily intended to be limiting.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure is a part. Terms,such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should beinterpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning inthe context of the relevant art and should not be interpreted in anidealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined herein.

FIG. 1 is a layout view of a pixel of a display device according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3Bare plan views illustrating examples of a protruding part of FIG. 1, andFIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1, ofthe display device of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, a display device 1 may include a firstdisplay substrate 100, a second display substrate 200 facing the firstdisplay substrate 100, and a liquid crystal layer 300 disposed betweenthe first and second display substrates 100 and 200.

The first display substrate 100 may be, for example, a thin-filmtransistor (TFT) substrate on which TFTs, which are switching elementsfor driving liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 300,are formed.

The second display substrate 200 may be a substrate facing the firstdisplay substrate 100.

A plurality of first column spacers MCS may be disposed between thefirst and second display substrates 100 and 200 to maintain the distance(i.e., the cell gap) between the first and second display substrates 100and 200. The first column spacers MCS may extend across the liquidcrystal layer 300 in a thickness direction. The first column spacers MCSmay be included and installed in at least one of the first and seconddisplay substrates 100 and 200. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1,the first column spacers MCS may be included in the second displaydevice 200.

The display device 1 may further include a polarization unit. Thepolarization unit may be included in one of the first and second displaysubstrates 100 and 200. Alternatively, the polarization unit may beprovided as a separate element from the first and second displaysubstrates 100 and 200.

The first and second display substrates 100 and 200 will hereinafter bedescribed.

The first display substrate 100 includes a first insulating substrate110 as its base. The first insulating substrate 110 may be transparent.For example, the first insulating substrate 110 may be provided as aglass substrate, a quartz substrate, or a transparent resin substrate.

The first insulating substrate 110 may include a pixel area PA. Thepixel area PA may be an area in which a pixel, which is the minimal unitfor displaying an image, is disposed. The pixel area PA may include alight-transmitting area TA and a light-blocking area BA. Thelight-blocking area BA may be an area overlapping with a light-blockingmember BM of the second display substrate 200. A pixel electrode PE maybe disposed in the light-transmitting area TA of the pixel area PA, anda switching element may be disposed in the light-blocking area BA of thepixel area PA. The switching element may be, for example, a TFT TR.

A gate line GL and a gate electrode GE may be disposed on the firstinsulating substrate 110. The gate line GL may transmit a gate signaland may extend mainly in one direction. For convenience, it is assumedthat the gate line GL extends in a horizontal direction or a firstdirection D1. The gate electrode GE may be projected from the gate lineGL and may be connected to the gate line GL. In some exemplaryembodiments, the gate line GL and the gate electrode GE may comprise analuminum (Al)-based metal such as Al or an Al alloy, a silver (Ag)-basedmetal such as Ag or an Ag alloy, a copper (Cu)-based metal such as Cu ora Cu alloy, and a molybdenum (Mo)-based metal such as Mo or a Mo alloy,chromium (Cr), tantalum (Ta), or titanium (Ti).

A gate insulating film 130 may be disposed on the gate line GL and onthe gate electrode GE. The gate insulating film 120 may be formed of aninsulating material. For example, the gate insulating film 120 may beformed of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, or silicon oxynitride. Thegate insulating film 120 may have a single-layer structure or amultilayer structure consisting of at least two insulating layers havingdifferent physical characteristics.

A semiconductor layer 130 may be disposed on the gate insulating film120 and may at least partially overlap with the gate electrode GE. Thesemiconductor layer 130 is illustrated as having a linear shape andoverlapping not only with the gate electrode GE, but also with datawiring (DL, SE, and DE), but the inventive concepts are not limitedthereto. That is, alternatively, the semiconductor layer 130 may beformed in an island shape only in an area overlapping with the gateelectrode GE.

The semiconductor layer 130 may include amorphous silicon,polycrystalline silicon, or an oxide semiconductor.

Ohmic contact members 140 may be disposed on the semiconductor layer130. The ohmic contact members 140 may be formed of n+ hydrogenatedamorphous silicon doped with a high concentration of n-type impuritiesor may be formed of silicide. The ohmic contact members 140 may bepaired with each other to be disposed on the semiconductor layer 130. Insome exemplary embodiments, in a case where the semiconductor layer 130is formed of an oxide semiconductor, the ohmic contact members 140 maynot be provided.

A data line DL may be disposed on the gate insulating film 120. The dataline DL may be insulated from the gate line GL by the gate insulatingfilm 120 and may intersect the gate line GL. For convenience, it isassumed that the data line DL extends in a vertical direction or asecond direction D2.

An area defined by the data line DL and the gate line GL, whichintersect each other, may correspond to the pixel area PA. The data lineDL and the gate line GL may be disposed in the light-blocking area BA,and the light-transmitting area TA may be provided in the area definedby the data line DL and the gate line GL.

A source electrode SE may be connected to the data line DL and mayoverlap with the gate electrode GE. In some exemplary embodiments, asillustrated in FIG. 1, the source electrode SE may be projected from thedata line DL to overlap with the gate electrode GE, but the presentdisclosure is not limited thereto. In other exemplary embodiments, thesource electrode SE may be disposed on the same line as the data lineDL, instead of being projected from the data line DL.

A drain electrode DE may be spaced apart from the source electrode SEover the gate electrode GE and may be disposed to face the sourceelectrode SE. The drain electrode DE may include an expanded portionhaving an expanded width in the area of contact with the pixel electrodePE.

The source electrode SE and the drain electrode DE may be disposed onthe ohmic contact members 140.

In some exemplary embodiments, the data line DL, the source electrodeSE, and the drain electrode DE may be formed of Al, Cu, Ag, Mo, Cr, Ti,Ta, or an alloy thereof.

The gate electrode GE, the source electrode SE, and the drain electrodeDE may form a switching element, e.g., the TFT TR, together with thesemiconductor layer 130. The TFT TR may be disposed in thelight-blocking area BA of the pixel area PA.

A passivation layer 150 may be disposed on the gate insulating film 130,the semiconductor layer 130, the source electrode SE, and the drainelectrode DE. The passivation layer 150 may comprise an inorganicinsulating material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or siliconoxynitride. The passivation layer 150 may protect the TFT TR and mayprevent the material of a color filter layer 170 from being infiltratedinto the semiconductor layer 130.

A contact hole CNT, which exposes a part of the drain electrode DE, maybe formed in the passivation layer 150. The contact hole CNT may beformed to penetrate not only the passivation layer 150, but also thecolor filter layer 170 and an organic layer ORG. The contact hole CNTmay be disposed to overlap with the light-blocking area BA.

A height difference generation pattern 160 may be disposed on thepassivation layer 150. The height difference generation pattern 160 hasa predetermined thickness and causes a height difference to be generatedin the thickness direction. As will be described later, the color filterlayer 170, the organic layer ORG, and an alignment film PI1 aresequentially disposed on the height difference generation pattern 160.The color filter layer 170, the organic layer ORG, and the alignmentfilm PI1 may have a greater height in a first area A1 where they overlapwith the height difference generation pattern 160 than in a second areaA2 where they do not overlap with the height difference generationpattern 160. Accordingly, a height difference may be defined between thefirst and second areas A1 and A2.

The height difference generation pattern 160 may be disposed to overlapwith the light-blocking area BA. The height difference generationpattern 160 may not overlap with the contact hole CNT.

In a plan view, the height difference generation pattern 160 may have afirst width WD1 in the first direction D1 and a second width WD2 in thesecond direction D2.

In a plan view, the height difference generation pattern 160 may have acircular shape or a square shape, as illustrated in FIG. 2A or FIG. 2B.That is, the first and second widths WD1 and WD2 of the heightdifference generation pattern 160 may be the same. The first and secondwidths WD1 and WD2 of the height difference generation pattern 160 mayhave a maximum value of 30 μm to 40 μm. For example, the first andsecond widths WD1 and WD2 of the height difference generation pattern160 may have a maximum value of 35 μm.

The relationship between the first and second widths WD1 and WD2 is notparticularly limited in the inventive concepts. That is, alternatively,in a plan view, the height difference generation pattern 160 may have anelliptical shape or a rectangular shape, as illustrated in FIG. 3A orFIG. 3B. In this case, the first width WD1 may be greater than thesecond width WD2. Specifically, the first width WD1 of the heightdifference generation pattern 160 may have a maximum value of 35 μm to45 μm, and the second width WD2 of the height difference generationpattern 160 may have a maximum value of 30 μm to 40 μm. For example, thefirst width WD1 may have a maximum value of 45 μm, and the second widthWD2 may have a maximum value of 35 μm.

The height difference generation pattern 160 may comprise aphotosensitive organic insulating material and may further comprise afirst color pigment. For example, the first color pigment may be one ofa red pigment, a green pigment, and a blue pigment, but the presentdisclosure is not limited thereto. In another example, the first colorpigment may be of another primary color such as magenta, cyan, oryellow.

The height difference generation pattern 160 may comprise the samematerial as a color filter layer included in a pixel of a differentcolor from the pixel in which the height difference generation pattern160 is disposed. For example, if the height difference generationpattern 160 is disposed in a blue pixel, the height differencegeneration pattern 160 may comprise the same material as a red colorfilter layer included in a red pixel or a green color filter included ina green pixel. The height difference color pattern 160 and the colorfilter layer included in the pixel of a different color from the pixelin which the height difference generation pattern 160 is disposed may beformed at the same time. In this case, the height (or the thickness) ofthe height difference generation pattern 160 may be substantially thesame as the height (or the thickness) of the color filter layer includedin the pixel of a different color from the pixel in which the heightdifference generation pattern 160 is disposed, but the presentdisclosure is not limited thereto. That is, the height (or thethickness) of the height difference generation pattern 160 may bedifferent from the height (or the thickness) of the color filter layerincluded in the pixel of a different color from the pixel in which theheight difference generation pattern 160 is disposed depending on a setof processing conditions used. That is, by using a halftone mask orusing patterns of different sizes, the height difference generationpattern 160 and the color filter layer 170 may be formed intentionallyto have different heights.

In some exemplary embodiments, the height difference generation pattern160 may be disposed to overlap with the TFT TR. In a case where theheight difference generation pattern 160 overlaps with the TFT TR, theheight of a first protruding part PT1 disposed above the heightdifference generation pattern 160 may be affected not only by thethickness of the height difference generation pattern 160, but also bythe thickness of the TFT TR.

The height difference generation pattern 160 may be disposed to cover achannel region of the semiconductor layer 130 of the TFT TR. The heightdifference generation pattern 160 may be disposed to overlap with theTFT TR and may thus uniformly maintain the rate of change of a thresholdvoltage Vth of the TFT TR. Specifically, some of the reflected light ofexternal light or incident light from a backlight unit may enter the TFTTR. In response to blue light, which is short-wavelength light, beingincident upon the channel region of the TFT TR, the threshold voltageVth of the TFT TR may change. The more the TFT TR is exposed toshort-wavelength light, the greater the rate of change of the thresholdvoltage Vth becomes. The color filter layer 170 is disposed above theTFT TR. Each red or green pixel has their TFT covered with a red orgreen color filter layer and can thus block the entrance of blue light.On the other hand, in each blue pixel, the entrance of blue light cannotbe blocked simply by a blue color filter layer. If the rate of change ofthe threshold voltage of the TFT of each blue pixels is greater than therate of change of the threshold voltages of each red or green pixel, thetransmittance of each blue pixel is lower than the transmittance of eachred or green pixel, and as a result, the display device 1 may generallybecome yellowish. As already mentioned above, the height differencegeneration pattern 160, which comprises a red or green pigment, may bedisposed above the TFT TR to overlap with the TFT TR. Then, even if bluelight penetrates through the color filter layer 170, the entrance of theblue light into the TFT TR can be blocked by the height differencegeneration pattern 160. Accordingly, any discrepancy in the rate ofchange of the threshold voltage Vth of the TFT TR over time can bereduced. To maximize the blue light blocking effect of the heightdifference generation pattern 160, the height difference generationpattern 160 may be formed of the same material as a red color filterlayer.

In some exemplary embodiments, the height difference generation pattern160 may be disposed only in some pixels. For example, the heightdifference generation pattern 160 may be disposed above the TFT of eachblue pixel, but not above the TFT of each red or green pixel. Forexample, the height difference generation pattern 160 may be disposedonly above the TFT overlapping each first column spacer.

The color filter layer 170 may be disposed above the height differencegeneration pattern 170 and the passivation layer 150. The color filterlayer 170 may be disposed to overlap with the light-blocking area TA. Insome exemplary embodiments, the color filter layer 170 may not overlapwith the light-blocking area BA or may overlap only with the edges ofthe light-blocking area BA. The color filter layer 170 may overlap withthe height difference generation pattern 160 and may be disposed tocover the height difference generation pattern 160.

The color filter layer 170 may be formed of a photosensitive organicinsulating material and may comprise a second color pigment, which has adifferent color from the height difference generation pattern 160. Forexample, the second color pigment may be one of a red pigment, a greenpigment, and a blue pigment, but the present disclosure is not limitedthereto. In another example, the second color pigment may be of anotherprimary color such as magenta, cyan, or yellow.

In a case where the color filter layer 170 comprises a red pigment, agreen pigment, or a blue pigment, the color filter layer 170 may serveas a red filter R, a green filter G, or a blue filter B.

The top surface of the color filter 170 may reflect some of the shape ofthe height difference generation pattern 160. That is, a part of thecolor filter layer 170 overlapping with the height difference generationpattern 160 may protrude upwardly as compared to the rest of the colorfilter layer 170. For example, the height of the protruding part of thecolor filter layer 170 may be less than the height of the heightdifference generation pattern 160. That is, the protruding part of thecolor filter layer 170 may only mildly reflect the shape of the heightdifference generation pattern 160. The width of the protruding part ofthe color filter layer 170 may be greater than the width of the heightdifference generation pattern 160, but the present disclosure is notlimited thereto.

The organic layer ORG may be disposed on the color filter layer 170. Theorganic layer ORG may be formed of a photosensitive organic insulatingmaterial. The organic layer ORG may protect the color filter layer 170.

The organic layer ORG may include a protruding part PT. The protrudingpart PT may be disposed to overlap with the light-blocking area BA. Theprotruding part PT may overlap with the TFT TR. The protruding part PTmay include a first protruding part PT1 which is disposed in a pixelwhere a height difference generation pattern is disposed and reflectsthe thicknesses of both a TFT and the height difference generationpattern and a second protruding part PT2 which reflects only thethickness of a TFT in a pixel where a height difference generationpattern is not disposed. The height of the second protruding part PT2may be less than the height of the first protruding part PT1. This willbe described later in detail.

The pixel electrode PE may be disposed on the organic layer ORG. Thepixel electrode PE may be disposed to overlap with thelight-transmitting area TA of the pixel area PA. The pixel electrode PEmay not overlap with the protruding part PT of the organic layer ORG. Apart of the pixel electrode PE may extend to overlap with thelight-blocking area BA and may be physically and electrically connectedto the drain electrode DE through the contact hole CNT, and as a result,the pixel electrode PE may receive a voltage from the drain electrodeDE. The pixel electrode PE may be formed of a transparent conductivematerial such as indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), indiumtin zinc oxide (ITZO), or aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO).

The pixel electrode PE may include a stem PEa, a plurality of branchesPEb, and a protrusion PEc. The pixel electrode PE may further includebranch connectors CNz connecting at least some of the ends of thebranches PEb.

The stem PEa may include a horizontal stem PEah extending mostly in thehorizontal direction and a vertical stem PEav extending mostly in thevertical direction, and the stem PEa may divide the pixel electrode PEinto a plurality of sub-regions, e.g., a plurality of domains. In someexemplary embodiments, the horizontal and vertical stems PEah and PEavmay intersect each other, and as a result, the stem PEa may be in theshape of a cross. In this case, the pixel electrode PE may be dividedinto four sub-regions, i.e., four domains. The direction in which thebranches PEb extend may differ from one sub-region to anothersub-region. For example, referring to FIG. 1, the branches PEb mayextend diagonally from the stem PEa in an upper right direction in anupper right sub-region, may extend diagonally from the stem PEa in alower right direction in a lower right sub-region, may extend diagonallyfrom the stem PEa in an upper left direction in an upper leftsub-region, and may extend diagonally from the stem PEa in a lower leftdirection in a lower left sub-region. The angle that the direction inwhich the gate line GL extends forms with the branches PEb, the anglethat the horizontal stem PEah forms with the branches PEb, or the anglethat the vertical stem PEav forms with the branches PEb may be about 45degrees, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The stem PEa may have various shapes other than that set forth herein.For example, the pixel electrode PE may be divided into one sub-region,two sub-regions, or three sub-regions depending on the shape of the stemPEa.

A first alignment film PI1 may be disposed on the organic layer ORG andthe pixel electrode PE. The first alignment film PI1 may reflect aheight difference formed by the first protruding part PT1. The firstalignment film PI1 may be formed of an organic material such as PI, butthe present disclosure is not limited thereto. The first alignment filmPI1 may be a vertical alignment film or a horizontal alignment film.

The second display substrate 200 may include a second insulatingsubstrate 210, a common electrode CE, a light-blocking member (or ablack matrix) BM, and a first column spacer MCS.

The second display substrate 200 may include the second insulatingsubstrate 210 as its base.

The second insulating substrate 210 may be provided as a glasssubstrate, a quartz substrate, or a transparent resin substrate.

The light-blocking member BM may be disposed on the second insulatingsubstrate 210. The light-blocking member BM may overlap with thelight-blocking area BA. The light-blocking member BM may overlap withthe TFT TR, which includes the gate electrode GE, the semiconductorlayer 130, the source electrode SE, and the drain electrode DE, and mayalso overlap with the contact hole CNT, the gate line GL, and the dataline DL. The light-blocking member BM may comprise a light-blockingpigment, such as black carbon, or may include a photosensitive organicmaterial.

The common electrode CE may be disposed above the second insulatingsubstrate 210. In some exemplary embodiments, the common electrode CEmay be formed above the second insulating substrate 210 as a plate andmay receive a common voltage of a predetermined magnitude. The commonelectrode CE may be formed of, for example, a transparent conductivematerial such as ITO, IZO, ITZO, or AZO.

The first column spacer MCS is disposed on the common electrode CE. Thefirst column spacer MCS may be a main column spacer that maintains thegap between the first and second display substrates 100 and 200.

The first column spacer MCS may overlap with the first protruding partPT1 of the first display substrate 100. An end of the first columnspacer MCS may face the first protruding part PT1. The first columnspacer MCS may be formed of an organic insulating material and may havephotosensitivity.

A second alignment film PI2 is disposed on the first column spacer MCSand the common electrode CE. The second alignment film PI2 may be formedof an organic material such as PI, but the inventive concepts are notlimited thereto. The second alignment film PI2 may be a verticalalignment film or a horizontal alignment film.

The first alignment film PI1, which covers the first protruding part PT1of the organic film ORG, may be in direct contact with a part of thesecond alignment film PI2 disposed at the end of the first column spacerMCS. In some exemplary embodiments, at least one of the first and secondalignment films PI1 and PI2 may not be provided. In this case, thematerial that the first protruding part PT1 and the first column spacerMCS are both in contact with may obviously vary. For example, when thefirst and second alignment films PI1 and PI2 are both not provided, thefirst protruding part PT1 and the first column spacer MCS may be indirect contact with each other.

The part of the first alignment film PI1 disposed on the firstprotruding part PT1 protrudes beyond the rest of the first alignmentfilm PI1. If a part of the first alignment film PI1 corresponding to thefirst column spacer MCS protrudes with a sufficient height differencefrom the rest of the first alignment film PI1, damage to the firstalignment film PI1 can be prevented. This will hereinafter be describedin detail with reference to FIG. 5.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show cross-sectional views for explaining a change inthe display device of FIG. 1 before and after the application ofpressure. Specifically, FIG. 5A illustrates a part where the firstprotruding part PT1 and the first column spacer MCS overlap with eachother, i.e., a part X of FIG. 4, and FIG. 5B illustrates a part wherethe second protruding part PT2 is disposed (FIG. 8).

Referring to FIG. 5A, in the area where the height difference generationpattern 160 is disposed, a difference between the height of a topsurface ORG-1 of a part of the organic layer ORG overlapping with aperipheral part of the height difference generation pattern 160 and atop surface PT1-1 of the first protruding part PT1, i.e., a height TH1of the first protruding part PT1, may be 0.6 μm to 0.8 μm. For example,the height TH1 of the first protruding part PT1 may be about 0.7 μm.

On the other hand, referring to FIG. 5B, the second protruding part PT2is provided on the organic layer ORG due to the thickness of the TFT TRbelow the organic layer ORG, but since the height difference generationpattern 160 is not provided (FIG. 8), the height of the secondprotruding part PT2 is less than the height of the first protruding partPT1. For example, the height of the second protruding part PT2 may beabout 0.3 μm.

When an external force F is applied to the display device 1, the firstcolumn spacer MCS may absorb some of the external force F and maythereby be compressed, and at the same time, due to the external forceF, a horizontal moving force F1 may be applied to the first columnspacer MCS to move the first column spacer MCS in the horizontaldirection. If the first column spacer MCS is moved by the horizontalmoving force F1, the end of the first column spacer MCS (or the secondalignment film PI1 at the end of the first column spacer MCS) may beplaced in direct contact with the surface of the first display substrate100 (or the first alignment film PI1) and may thereby damage the surfaceof the first display substrate 100.

As illustrated in FIG. 5A, not only the horizontal moving force F1, butalso a vertical drag F2, is applied to the first column spacer MCS inthe first area A1 that overlaps with the first protruding part PT1,which is disposed below the first column spacer MCS and has apredetermined height HT1. If the first column spacer MCS is movedsideways to the second area A2 by the external force F and thereby nolonger overlaps with the first protruding part PT1, the height of thefirst column spacer MCS, shrunk by the vertical drag F2, may be restoredso that the first column spacer MCS can become taller. In this case, theend of the first column spacer MCS may become closer to the surface ofthe first display substrate 100 (i.e., the surface of the firstalignment film PI1) in the second area A2. However, since the firstprotruding part PT1 has a sufficient height, the risk of the end of thefirst column spacer MCS being placed in direct contact with the surfaceof the first display substrate 100 can be reduced, and this becomes moreapparent when comparing the first protruding part PT1 with the secondprotruding part PT2, which has a height of only about 0.3 μm because ofthe absence of the height difference generation pattern 160. That is,since the height of the first protruding part PT1 is increased by theheight difference generation pattern 160, the probability of the surfaceof the first display substrate 100 being damaged by the first protrudingpart PT1 can be lowered. Accordingly, the first alignment film PI1 canbe prevented from being damaged in the second area A2, and as a result,light leakage can be prevented.

Display devices according to other exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention will hereinafter be described. Like reference numeral indicatelike elements throughout the present disclosure, and the display devicesaccording to other exemplary embodiments of the present invention willhereinafter be described, focusing mainly on differences with thedisplay device 1 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1, of adisplay device according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 6, a display device 2 differs from the display device1 of FIG. 4 in that a light-blocking member and a first column spacerare integrally formed using the same material, and that a commonelectrode is disposed on the light-blocking member and the first columnspacer.

Specifically, a black matrix column spacer BCS is disposed on a secondinsulating substrate 210. The black matrix column spacer BCS includes ablack matrix portion and a black column spacer portion disposed on theblack matrix portion. The black matrix portion and the black columnspacer portion may be integrally formed using the same material. Theblack matrix portion may have substantially the same planar layout asthe light-blocking member BM of FIG. 4. The black column spacer portionmay have substantially the same planar layout as the first column spacerMCS of FIG. 4.

A common electrode CE is disposed on the black matrix column spacer BCS.The common electrode CE may be disposed not only on the black matrixportion, but also on the black column spacer portion of the black matrixspacer BCS. A second alignment film PI2 is disposed on the commonelectrode CE. The common electrode CE is interposed between the secondalignment film PI2 and the black column spacer portion of the blackmatrix column spacer BCS.

A height difference generation pattern 160 of a first display substrate100 is disposed to face an end of the black column spacer portion of theblack matrix column spacer BCS. Accordingly, as described above withreference to FIG. 5, a sufficient height can be secured by a firstprotruding part PT1 in an area where the height difference generationpattern 160 faces the end of the black column spacer portion of theblack matrix column spacer BCS, and as a result, damage to the surfaceof the first display substrate 100 can be prevented.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1, of adisplay device according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 7, a display device 2-1 differs from the displaydevice 2 of FIG. 6 in the order in which a black matrix column spacerBCS and a common electrode CE are stacked.

Specifically, the common electrode CE is disposed on a second insulatingsubstrate 210, and the black matrix column spacer BCS is disposed on thecommon electrode CE. A second alignment film PI2 is disposed on theblack matrix column spacer BCS.

A height difference generation pattern 160 of a first display substrate100 is disposed to face an end of a black column spacer portion of theblack matrix column spacer BCS. Accordingly, as described above withreference to FIG. 5, a sufficient height can be secured by a firstprotruding part PT1 in an area where the height difference generationpattern 160 faces the end of the black column spacer portion of theblack matrix column spacer BCS, and as a result, damage to the surfaceof a first display substrate 100 can be prevented.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1, of adisplay device according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 8, a display device 1-1 differs from the displaydevice 1 of FIG. 4 in that a height difference generation pattern 160 isnot provided on a first insulating substrate 110.

Specifically, a gate electrode GE, a gate insulating film 120, asemiconductor layer 130, ohmic contact members 140, a source electrodeSE, a drain electrode DE, and a passivation layer 150 may be disposed onthe first insulating substrate 110, and a color filter layer 170 and anorganic layer ORG that forms a second protruding part PT2 may bedisposed on the passivation layer 150. The display device 1-1 mayfurther include a first alignment film PI1 on the organic layer ORG.

A second display substrate 200 may be substantially the same as thesecond display substrate 200 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1, of adisplay device according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 9, a display device 3 differs from the display device1 of FIG. 4 in that a first column spacer MCS is disposed directly abovea first protruding part PT1 of an organic layer ORG.

Specifically, a gate electrode GE, a gate insulating film 120, asemiconductor layer 130, ohmic contact members 140, a source electrodeSE, a drain electrode DE, a passivation layer 150, a height differencegeneration pattern 160, a color filter layer 170, and the organic layerORG that forms the first protruding part PT1 may be disposed on a firstinsulating substrate 110, and the first column spacer MCS may bedisposed directly above the first protruding part PT1 of the organiclayer ORG. The display device 3 may further include a first alignmentfilm PI1 formed on the first column spacer MCS.

A second display substrate 200 may include a second insulating substrate210, a light-blocking member BM, and a common electrode CE, and mayfurther include a second alignment film PI2.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1, of adisplay device according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 10, a display device 3-1 differs from the displaydevice 1-1 of FIG. 9 in that a height difference generation pattern 160is not provided on a first insulating substrate 110.

Specifically, a gate electrode GE, a gate insulating film 120, asemiconductor layer 130, ohmic contact members 140, a source electrodeSE, a drain electrode DE, and a passivation layer 150 may be disposed onthe first insulating substrate 110, and a color filter layer 170 and anorganic layer ORG that forms a second protruding part PT2 may bedisposed on the passivation layer 150. A first alignment film PI1 may beformed on the organic layer ORG. A second column spacer SCS may bedisposed on the second protruding part PT2 of the organic layer ORG. Thedisplay device 3-1 may further include a first alignment film PI1 on thesecond column spacer SCS.

A second display substrate 200 may be substantially the same as thesecond display substrate 200 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a layout view of a display device 10 according to anotherexemplary embodiment of the present invention and illustrates anexemplary arrangement of gate lines GL, data lines DL, and protrudingparts (PT1 and PT2) in the display device 10.

Referring to FIG. 11, the display device 10 includes a first protrudingpart PT1 in a first light-blocking area BA1 of a first pixel area PA1and a second protruding part PT2 in a third light-blocking area BA3 of athird pixel area PA3. In some exemplary embodiments, a height TH1 of thefirst protruding part PT1 may be greater than a height TH2 of the secondprotruding part PT2. Accordingly, due to the difference between theheight TH1 of the first protruding part PT1 and the height TH2 of thesecond protruding part PT2, the same column spacer may become a maincolumn spacer when disposed to overlap with the first protruding partPT1 and may become a sub-column spacer SCS when disposed to overlap withthe second protruding part PT2. That is, the pixel configurationillustrated in FIG. 14 may be a pixel configuration in which one maincolumn spacer MCS and one sub-column spacer SCS are provided.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line B-B′ of FIG. 11, ofa display device 10-1 according to another exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

The cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 may be a cross-sectional view of afirst pixel area PA1 of FIG. 12, and the cross-sectional view of FIG. 8may be a cross-sectional view of a third pixel area PA3 of FIG. 12.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 8, 11, and 12, the third pixel area PA3 differsfrom the first pixel area PA1 in that a height difference generationpattern 160 is not inserted in a color filter layer 170. A height HT1 ofa main column spacer MCS in the first pixel area PA1 may be the same asa height HT1-1 of a sub-column spacer SCS in the third pixel area PA3,and a height TH1 of a first protruding part PT1 in the first pixel areaPA1 may be greater than a height TH2 of a second protruding part PT2 inthe third pixel area PA3. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 12, when thereis no gap between the main column spacer MCS and a first displaysubstrate 100, there may be a gap between the sub-column spacer SCS andthe first display substrate 100. Since the height HT1 of the main columnspacer MCS and the height HT1-1 of the sub-column spacer SCS are thesame, the main column spacer MCS and the sub-column spacer SCS can beformed at the same time without using a multi-tone mask such as ahalftone mask, and as a result, the manufacturing cost of the displaydevice 10-1 can be reduced.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line B-B′ of FIG. 11, ofa display device 10-2 according to another exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

The cross-sectional view of FIG. 9 may be a cross-sectional view of afirst pixel area PA1 of FIG. 13, and the cross-sectional view of FIG. 10may be a cross-sectional view of a third pixel area PA3 of FIG. 13.

Referring to FIGS. 9 through 13, the third pixel area PA3 differs fromthe first pixel area PA1 in that a height difference generation pattern160 is not inserted in a color filter layer 170. A height HT1 of a maincolumn spacer MCS in the first pixel area PA1 may be the same as aheight HT1-1 of a sub-column spacer SCS in the third pixel area PA3, anda height TH1 of a first protruding part PT1 in the first pixel area PA1may be greater than a height TH2 of a second protruding part PT2 in thethird pixel area PA3. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 13, when there isno gap between the main column spacer MCS and a second display substrate200, there may be a gap between the sub-column spacer SCS and a firstdisplay substrate 100. Since the height HT1 of the main column spacerMCS and the height HT1-1 of the sub-column spacer SCS are the same, themain column spacer MCS and the sub-column spacer SCS can be formed atthe same time without using a multi-tone mask such as a halftone mask,and as a result, the manufacturing cost of the display device 10-1 canbe reduced.

FIG. 14 is a layout view of a display device 20 according to anotherexemplary embodiment of the present invention and illustrates anexemplary arrangement of gate lines GL, data lines DL, and protrudingparts (PT1 and PT2) in the display device 20.

Referring to FIG. 14, the display device 20 includes a first protrudingpart PT1 in a first light-blocking area BA1 of a first pixel area PA1, asecond protruding part PT2 in a second light-blocking area BA2 of asecond pixel area PA2, and another second protruding part PT2 in a thirdlight-blocking area BA3 of a third pixel area PA3. In some exemplaryembodiments, a height TH1 of the first protruding part PT1 may begreater than a height TH2 of the second protruding parts PT2.Accordingly, due to the difference between the height TH1 of the firstprotruding part PT1 and the height TH2 of the second protruding partsPT2, the same column spacer may become a main column spacer whendisposed to overlap with the first protruding part PT1 and may become asub-column spacer SCS when disposed to overlap with one of the secondprotruding parts PT2. That is, the pixel configuration illustrated inFIG. 14 may be a pixel configuration in which one main column spacer MCSand two sub-column spacers SCS are provided.

The display device 20 differs from the display device 10 of FIG. 11 inthe directions in which the gate lines GL and the data lines DL extend.

According to the aforementioned and other exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention, the cell gap between two substrates can be uniformlymaintained, and the two substrates can be prevented from being damagedby an external force.

In addition, short-wavelength light from blue color filters can beblocked, and the manufacturing cost of a display device can be reduced.

Although certain exemplary embodiments have been described herein, otherembodiments and modifications will be apparent from this description.Accordingly, the inventive concepts are not limited to such embodiments,but rather to the broader scope of the appended claims and variousobvious modifications and equivalent arrangements as would be apparentto a person of ordinary skill in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A display device comprising: a first displaysubstrate comprising: a first base; a switching element disposed on thefirst base; a height difference generation pattern having an islandshape and disposed on the switching element to overlap with theswitching element; a color filter layer disposed on the heightdifference generation pattern and covering the height differencegeneration pattern; an organic layer disposed on the color filter layerand comprising a protruding part overlapping with the height differencegeneration pattern; and a pixel electrode disposed on the organic layer,the pixel electrode being electrically connected to the switchingelement and not overlapping with the protruding part; a second displaysubstrate comprising a second base facing the first base; a liquidcrystal layer disposed between the first and second display substrates;and a column spacer disposed between a first surface of the second basefacing the first base and the organic layer and overlapping with theprotruding part.
 2. The display device of claim 1, wherein: the heightdifference generation pattern contains a first pigment of a first color;and the color filter layer contains a second pigment of a second color,which is different from the first color.
 3. The display device of claim2, wherein the first color is one of red or green, and the second coloris blue.
 4. The display device of claim 3, wherein: the switchingelement comprises a semiconductor layer having a channel region; and theheight difference generation pattern covers the channel region.
 5. Thedisplay device of claim 1, wherein the column spacer is fixedly disposedon the second base.
 6. The display device of claim 5, wherein an end ofthe column spacer faces the protruding part.
 7. The display device ofclaim 6, wherein: the first display substrate comprises a firstalignment film disposed on the organic layer; and the second displaysubstrate comprises a second alignment film disposed on the second baseand covering the column spacer.
 8. The display device of claim 7,wherein a part of the first alignment film disposed on the protrudingpart and a part of the second alignment film disposed on the columnspacer are in direct contact with each other.
 9. The display device ofclaim 1, wherein a maximum width of the height difference generationpattern is 30 μm to 45 μm.
 10. The display device of claim 1, wherein aheight of the protruding part is 0.6 μm to 0.8 μm.
 11. The displaydevice of claim 1, further comprising a light-blocking member disposedon the first surface of the second base, wherein the light-blockingmember overlaps with the switching element and the height differencegeneration pattern.
 12. The display device of claim 11, wherein thecolumn spacer is formed of the same material as the light-blockingmember.
 13. A display device comprising: a first display substratecomprising: a first base having first and second pixel areas; first andsecond switching elements disposed on the first base and located in thefirst and second pixel areas, respectively; a height differencegeneration pattern having an island shape and being disposed on thefirst switching element to overlap with the first switching element; afirst color filter layer disposed on the first switching element and theheight difference generation pattern and covering the height differencegeneration pattern; a second color filter layer disposed on the secondswitching element; an organic layer covering the first and second colorfilter layers and comprising a first protruding part overlapping withthe height difference generation pattern; a first pixel electrodedisposed on the organic layer in the first pixel area, the first pixelelectrode being electrically connected to the first switching elementand not overlapping with the first protruding part; a second pixelelectrode disposed on the organic layer in the second pixel area, thesecond pixel electrode being electrically connected to the secondswitching element and not overlapping with the second switching element;a second display substrate comprising a second base, which faces thefirst base; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and seconddisplay substrates; and a first column spacer disposed between a firstsurface of the second base facing the first base and the organic layerand overlapping with the first protruding part.
 14. The display deviceof claim 13, further comprising a second column spacer disposed betweenthe first surface of the second base and the organic layer andoverlapping with the second switching element.
 15. The display device ofclaim 13, wherein the organic layer further comprises a secondprotruding part overlapping with the second switching element and havinga height less than that of the first protruding part.
 16. The displaydevice of claim 15, wherein the height of the first protruding part isgreater than the height of the second protruding part by 0.3 μm to 0.5μm.
 17. The display device of claim 14, wherein the first and secondcolumn spacers have the same height.
 18. The display device of claim 14,wherein: the first display substrate comprises a first alignment filmdisposed on the organic layer; and the second display substratecomprises a second alignment film disposed on the second base andcovering the first and second column spacers.
 19. The display device ofclaim 18, wherein a part of the first alignment film disposed on thefirst protruding part and a part of the second alignment film disposedon the first column spacer are in direct contact with each other. 20.The display device of claim 14, wherein the first and second columnspacers are fixedly disposed on the second base.